In the first episode of the 2022 season, I sit down with some of our most popular returning guests, Green MP Golriz Ghahraman and fellow podcaster Martyn "Bomber" Bradbury, to discuss emissions reduction, polls and tax cuts, all in the context of "leftie optimism" and "right-wing fatalism". 

Our final The Backroom of Politics episode for 2021 is a collaboration with The Working Group podcast, hosted by The Daily Blog. Myself and Dr Bryce Edwards join host Martyn Bradbury to discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of New Zealand politics this year, and make our predictions for 2022. 

Check out The Daily Blog at the links below:

https://thedailyblog.co.nz

https://www.facebook.com/TheDailyBlogNZ

https://twitter.com/TheDailyBlogNZ 

And The Working Group podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Rwf4twYPiYcw7ietau4XS

In this episode, I sit down with Nikki Rogers, Regional Manager for Central South Island at Hospitality New Zealand, and Marty Fuller, longtime Christchurch hospitality figure and proprietor of the Elmwood Trading Company. We discuss the changes our hospitality sector has and will need to make in response to the changing Covid-19 environment in New Zealand. 

For more information on Hospitality New Zealand's work, head to their website: https://www.hospitality.org.nz/s/aboutus.

Keep up to date with Marty and the Elmwood Trading Company on their Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elmwoodtradingco. 

This week I sit down with Laurie Patterson, co-founder of the Groundswell movement, to discuss what's driving the movement, and what change our farming communities want to see in their relationship with the Government.  

In this episode I sit down with entrepreneur and publican Leo Molloy to discuss the effects of repeated Auckland lockdowns on the city's hospitality sector, his vision for Auckland and mayoral candidacy, and our shared West Coast and Irish heritages. 

In this episode, I sit down with Mayor of Westland Bruce Smith, and Christchurch City Councillor Sam MacDonald, to discuss the Three Waters Reform: the issue the reforms are trying to address, why they're so controversial, and how they will affect local communities.  

In this episode, I sit down the Simon Bridges, National Party Spokesperson for Justice, on the Government's proposed legislative changes to certain "hate speech" provisions. We discuss the ambiguity around defining hate speech and the implications of these changes. 

In this episode, I'm joined by molecular biologist Dr Hamish Campbell, to talk all things vaccination- how vaccines work, why you should get vaccinated, and what high vaccination rates mean for our communities. 

I sit down with Gary Moore, former Labour mayor of Christchurch, for a robust discussion on the Government's proposed Three Waters Reforms, which would see the management of drinking, storm and waste water removed from local authorities and handed to four new regional entities. 

I sit down with National's Housing Spokesperson, Nicola Willis, to discuss what's driving New Zealand's housing crisis, how it's impacting those trying to get into the market, and the possible solutions.